Product Information

Publisher's Description

For generations, other religions and cultures have put their children through a rite of passage to adulthood. Many people are aware of the Jewish practice of the Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, for example. The reality, however, is that many children today don't learn how to become adults on purpose; rather, they ride the wave of adolescence toward an unknown adult future.

Moms, dads, and other perfectly placed adults have the unique opportunity to guide the teenagers in their life toward adulthood. This is not a privilege to be taken lightly, but neither is it an impossible task.

Jim McBride, executive producer of Fireproof and Courageous, brings wisdom, experience, and practical examples to his guidebook for leading those burgeoning adults in your life through a real-life Rite of Passage.

Author Bio

JIM MCBRIDE joined the staff of Sherwood Baptist Church in 2000 and has served as the executive pastor overseeing operations, church staff, finances and Men's Ministry since 2003. He is an executive producer of the films released by Sherwood Pictures, including Courageous, Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Flywheel. Jim has also worked for Coca-Cola fifteen years and served in the U. S. Marine Corps for six years. Jim and his wife, Sheila, have been married for 28 years. They have four children, Victoria, Buddy, Tommy, and Sarah.

If you are looking to hold a rite of passage for your children, this is the book for you. It talks about the four ceremonies the author held for his children, and why he chose each element that was included.

I agree that it is important that parents lead their children purposefully into adulthood, but am not sure the way authors examples are something that a lot of parents could pull off. He does say that every family should cater it to their own needs, and the very end tells a little on how to do that. But most of it outlines his way with just small variations.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a new idea to me, and I like it. Makes sense to lead our kids purposefully into adulthood, rather than just arriving. It was good to have the various examples from others as to how they conducted their 'Rite of Passage' differently to suit their own family. Not a one recipe for all, but I like it that way.

Â I received this audiobook as a reviewer for christianaudio.com. The concept of this volume is that fathers/parents need to establish rites of passage with their children in order to help usher them into adulthood. This concept is vital to the development from middle to late adolescence.

What I Liked:Â Jim is very intentional about parents taking responsibility for their children's spiritual lives. It is not the job of the church or the youth pastor or anyone else to ensure that a child/teen grows in his relationship with the Lord into adulthood. It is the job of the parents.

What I didn't Like:Â Although I enjoyed that he gave examples and walked through a "rite of passage," ultimately, he devoted four chapters, one for each of his kids, to describing in painful detail every aspect of the rite. It seemed tedious at best, unnecessary at worst.

Personal Takeaways:Â This book challenged me to, from the beginning of their lives, establish myself as a spiritual leader to each of my children. It is important for me (and Emily) to spiritually guide our children through all aspects of their development, not just from middle to late adolescence.

Who's It For?:Â I would recommend this to people who are planning some sort of celebration/ceremony for their adolescents. That is where this book thrives-- examples.